Snapshots
by poetic licence
Summary: Fleeting glimpses into many lives, because we are all made up of snapshots lost in time. For Tara, on her birthday. Gen mention of Slash: Harry Draco


**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter books and other trademarks are © by JK Rowling, Little Literacy Agency, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Arthur A. Levine, & Warner Brothers. No profit is being made, it's all good clean fun. _Really_.

**Snapshots**

- for taradiane, on her birthday -

I.

Harry likes Hogwarts best in September, with Summer a quickly fading memory that's left to wilt on the windowsill, along with the promise of Winter that comes in heavy shivers of faded leaves. The cooling air becomes so still and crisp, he can almost taste the possibilities as he strides across the grounds by himself, just him and the aquamarine sky stretched taut all around him.

II.

Ron likes the kitchens best at just past midnight. House elves scurrying around him, making him platefuls of warm cookies that remind him of his mother as he bites deeply into the chocolate chips, how she held him on her lap when he was four years old and he feels loved and protected. He sometimes feels guilty for missing her so much, and then he feels guilty because he didn't bring Harry or Hermione with him, guilty because he feels more alive without them there.

III.

Narcissa likes her son best when he's reading in the confines of her library, so absorbed in a book that he lets down all of his defences that nothing can draw his attention away, not even her hand carding through his fine hair. He's so possessed in his own world that he forgets to glare at her and just raises his eyebrows a little, the same look she uses on his father when she wants to make him laugh at dinner.

IV.

Hermione likes her reflection best in the mirror in the third floor girls' bathroom, the only one that doesn't distort her reflection a little. She pulls her hair back and studies herself like an open book, tracing every detail of her skin, ignoring the dampness of the floor and Myrtle's moans while she wishes, desperately, that Ron would just notice her for once.

V.

Angelina likes the Quidditch change rooms best after everyone has left, leaving just her, her strategy charts and all the memories of the other Quidditch captains before her. She likes to trace the names on the shield that shows all of the past Gryffindor captains and she can hardly believe that under 'Oliver Wood 1995-1997' is 'Angelina Johnson 1998-'. She always pauses on 'James Potter 1975-1977' and has no doubt in her mind who the next Quidditch captain will be.

VI.

Hedwig likes to fly in with the pack of early morning post owls' best, spreading her wings importantly and landing with ease in front of Harry. She likes how he rubs her back gently and says hello to her like she's of an importance in his life, like she's human. He always gives her some bacon of his plate and she never knocks over his orange juice.

VII.

Ginny likes the east window best in the Gryffindor common room where she can sit away from the hustle and bustle gathering around the fire, where she can spy on all the comings and goings out of the front doors while still watching Quidditch practice with the other half of her attention. She likes rugging up in a thick blanket draped all around her like a cape and still be warmed a little by the left over warmth from the fire, but still far enough away from the rough-housing of her house mates.

VIII.

Petunia likes her house best when there's no one there but her; all the rooms are clean and she can sit in the lounge room without the television on and pray quietly for her husband and son to stay safe. The cupboard under the stairs remains the only part of the house to remain lemon-scented spray-free, instead smelling, quite distinctly, of growing boy.

IX.

Crookshanks likes Dean's lap best, his long thighs in warm grey trousers a perfect place to sprawl, knee to groin, purring contentedly. From the edge of Dean's knee, he can perch his paws comfortably and watch Hermione, Harry and Ron play exploding snap, making him grateful he's well out of the way, after the last time when he was walking through their game and hurt his nose.

X.

Draco likes Harry best sprawled between his white cotton sheets in his prefect bedroom, sleeping and naked, where he can run his hands smoothly over Harry's clean skin, while he slumbers, deeply. Harry's throat is a treat, ready for kisses and the way his lips press into those familiar groves until the vibrations cause Harry to half awake, rolling into Draco's waiting arms, sliding together with ease.

XI.

Albus likes tea with Severus best, because he likes to watch Severus do battle with his instincts and his deep desires to say no to everything, and in the end, he'll do exactly what Albus wanted him to do all along. Albus always did like a challenge, and Severus is one of the finest cryptic crossword clues ever, especially out of his dungeons and glaring into his tea with contempt.

- finished -


End file.
